Cryin' in ma beer!

[Chris C]

Not me, I don't drink that much beer! But if did, I'd be crying today.

This is for all you folks out there who have made furniture. I'm trying desperately to finish a hall table for a show in April. I've been working from a stack of select grade 12/4 Mahogany. I have the base pretty much completed.........except for doing a final fit on the drawer and applying the handrubbed finish. I am making the top of the table 5/4 thick. The table top is 14 1/2" x 47 1/2". Unfortunately, the widest piece of Mahogany I have is 13". So, obviously, I had to resaw and glue two pieces together to get the width. My meter indicated a 7% moisture level, so I've not had any trouble building the table. I cut out my pieces for the top yesterday. Carefully sawed to align the direction of the grain. And then glued the two pieces together. Got up this morning only to find the wood had bowed terribly. I've got it on stickers right now, with close to 800 pounds of weight on it to see if it'll move back to flat, but with time pressing, I may have to start over and put another top together with alternating 4" strips. Bummer, huh?

Oh well, my rant is over. Thanks for listening. Should I just write your receptionist a check when I leave?

[Boodro]

Hey Chris, maybe ya need to call ole Norm Abram ???? He glues boards all the time & on his show they all come out PERFECT!
Why don't we have an emoticon with a goatee?? Beard ,, mustach???


Good luck Chris!

[Chris C]

I met a guy once who met Norm in an airport terminal (in Denver, I believe it was) and got to talking with him about that very subject. Norm laughed and told him they have a whole two weeks to put a 1 hour show together, and fewer things come out perfect than most people think. Besides, he only does about 60% of the work on the projects himself. He has "silent helpers" do the balance. None of us is perfect.........even Norm.

[asianflava]

A buddy of mine (the guy who welded my frame) met Jessie from Extreme 4X4 when he went wheelin'. She said the same thing, there is a lot of Hollywood smoke and mirrors.

[Chris C]

Not only that, but we "peons" don't have the benefit of Delta completely outfitting our shops. For example, that oscillating wide belt sander Norm has retails at about $10,000. Not something I can afford. So between the "smoke and mirrors" and the $75,000 gift from machinery suppliers, it makes the playing field a little uneven.

That's not my complaint today, though. Today it's Mother Nature, dry wood, and the recent rise in humidity playing havoc with my project. Oh well, so goes the life of an woodworker. Just letting off some steam. (Bitch and moan, bitch and moan, bitch and moan.)

[mikeschn]

Alternating 4" strips don't sound that bad. Yea, I know it's a lot of extra work...

But they don't seem to make stable wide flat boards the way they used to.

Can your thickness planner handle 14 1/2"?

Mike...

[DestinDave]

I met a guy once who met Norm in an airport terminal (in Denver, I believe it was) and got to talking with him about that very subject. Norm laughed and told him they have a whole two weeks to put a 1 hour show together, and fewer things come out perfect than most people think. Besides, he only does about 60% of the work on the projects himself. He has "silent helpers" do the balance. None of us is perfect.........even Norm.

Say it ain't so! Actually, most of those shows are the same. I always laugh at Bill Dance & Hank Parker, et al when they fill their limit of huge hawgs in 1/2 show and I've only caught 2 or 3 like that in my life... how many silent helpers are there on the sidelines putting those lunkers on their hooks for them?

Chris - is the top bowed too badly to run it through a planer? If you have a planer that wide, that is.

[mikeschn]

And how come we never get any pictures out of you?

Mike...

[DestinDave]

Maybe he don't know MadJack luvs da pics...

[Chris C]

Mike,

No, the widest I can plane is 12"..................and it's too bowed to end up with anything thick enough to do what I want. As far as pictures, I'd be glad to show you some, but my camera is off in California at the Nikon Service Department. I you are just wanting to see my furniture, here's a link: http://photobucket.com/albums/a31/Chris623/ Password: 22747

Think that answers Dave's questions also.

As I mentioned, I've got the top stickered and weighted. I'll just have to wait and see what happens. I have to make a trip to northern Nebraska on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, so that'll give it another 4 days to relax. If not, I'll just do it the old fashioned way and recut it and alternate planks.

[goldcoop]

Chris-

Maybe I missed it, Bowed up or down to the money side? It's a top, so G1S right?

Would small relief cuts on the back side help it to relax?

Just a thought?

Cheers,

Coop

[Hardin Valley Magic]

Chris, don't tell us your complaining about moisture!!! Seeing how a lot of Okie is up in smoke .. Be greatful. Things could be worse.
Thank goodness not though.

[mikeschn]

Mike,

I you are just wanting to see my furniture, here's a link: http://photobucket.com/albums/a31/Chris623/ Password: 22747

No no no no no... I want to see your current pictures... I want to see your mahogany... I want to see the cuping and twisting and bowing... I want to be able to make positive suggestions for your woodworking... even though April is right around the corner...

I gave you guys the albums, and I gave you guys the hard disk space you need... heck, today I even updated the thumbnails in the albums so they don't look purple and green anymore... Don't believe me, go take a look.

So let me pull a Madjack... "We luv dem pics... we wanna see dem pics... by George, show us them pics, or else..."

Just kidding... (but I did update the thumbnails....)

Mike...

[Hardin Valley Magic]

Thanks Mike!! The forum keeps getting better.

[mikeschn]

Thanks Mike!! The forum keeps getting better.

That's a good thing, eh?

I've written the author of the album software... I'd like to get a button added underneath people's messages... kinda like this...



No guarantees... so don't hold your breath...

BTW, the backup plan is to have the admins update the website links with album links... Oh that's right... the admins don't know about that yet...

Mike...